Vehicle stopping and movement warning sensor

ABSTRACT

A sensor for actuating a vehicle warning signal includes a housing, a magnetically activated switch on an outside surface of the housing, and an electrical connection connecting the switch to a warning signaling device. The housing includes a cavity, at least one spring inside the cavity, and a moveable magnetic weight element adjacent the spring. In a first condition the weight element is located in a first resting, non-activating position remote from said switch, and in a second condition, during a deceleration of the vehicle, the weight element moves to compress the spring so that the weight element moves from the first position to a second activating position proximate the switch so that the switch is closed by magnetic interaction with the weight element, the closing of the switch causing the warning signaling device to be activated to provide a warning to following vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a sensor for signaling a vehicle's suddenstopping or movement. The inventive sensor finds preferable applicationsensing an abrupt stopping or deceleration of the vehicle. The sensormay also be mounted to detect lateral or vertical vehicle movementscaused by external reasons, e.g., potholes or other emergency movementsby the driver in reaction to another rapidly approaching vehicle, acurb, an person, or an obstacle such as a utility pole.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Prior art vehicles have included various kinds of factory equippedcomponents such as an “emergency stop signal” where a special lightsignals when the vehicle is braked rapidly and severely so that afollowing driver can pay attention with special urgency. However, theseemergency stop signals are only activated by manual systems such asbrakes, steering wheel, or emergency lights by a police vehicle.Accordingly, when there are unforeseen obstacles, e.g., potholes, infront of a moving vehicle and not enough time to manually activate anemergency signal, e.g., brake signal, not only the vehicle is in dangerbut also a following vehicle will be in danger due to not receiving anywarning signal.

Further, many sensors equipped with a vehicle are primarily providingwarning signals to a driver of the vehicle, not a driver of a followingvehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a sensor for installation in avehicle, e.g., as an aftermarket component, that provides warningsignals of abrupt stopping or deceleration of the vehicle and any abruptmovement of the vehicle to a following driver.

In a preferred embodiment the inventive sensor includes a housing (1); amagnetically activated switch (5); and an electrical connection (6) to awarning signal device (10) of the vehicle (9). The housing (1) comprisesa cavity (7) located inside the housing (1), a spring (2) located insidethe cavity (7) and an adjacent moveable magnetic weight element (3). Thesensor is operative so that in a first in-use condition the weightelement is located in a first resting, non-activating position remotefrom said switch (5), and in a second in-use condition, during adeceleration of the vehicle, the weight element (3) moves to compressthe spring (2) so that the weight element (3) moves from the firstposition to a second activating position proximate the switch so thatthe switch is closed by magnetic interaction with the weight element(3), the closing of the switch causing the warning signaling device (10)to be activated to provide a warning to following vehicles. Normally,the spring keeps the weight element (3) from moving to the secondposition proximate the switch. A second spring (2′) and switch (5′)allows for a third in-use condition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a sensor in a resting position with aswitch embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an activating position of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a sensor in a resting position embodimentof the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Anotherembodiment is illustrated in FIG. 3.

With reference to FIG. 1, the inventive sensor (10) comprises a housing(1). The housing is configured for installation within a vehicle (9).The housing (1) may have closed ends (11). The housing may be acylindrical housing (1), although other geometries may be provided.

A magnetically activated switch (5) is located on an outside surface ofthe housing (1). An electrical connection (6) is provided to connect theswitch (5) to a warning signal device (12) of the vehicle (9). Theswitch may be a normally-open switch. The electrical connection maycomprise an electrical cable (6) connected between the switch (5) andthe warning signal device (12) of the vehicle (9), although any suitableconnection between the switch (5) and the vehicle warning signal device(12) may be used. The warning signal device (12) may comprise anexisting warning light of the vehicle such as one or more of the brakinglights, or may a dedicated warning light such as a light mounted in thevehicle's rear window. The warning light may be configured to flash at adistinctive frequency and/or varying intensity. The warning module maycomprise a sound element.

The housing (1) may comprise a cavity (7), e.g., a cylindrical cavity,located inside the housing (1), a spring (2) located inside the cavity(7), and a moveable magnetic weight element (3) located inside thecavity (7) adjacent the spring (2).

In a first in-use condition in FIG. 1, the weight element is located ina first resting, non-activating position (P1) magnetically remote fromsaid switch (5) at a distance where the weight element does not causethe switch to become activated, e.g., closed.

In a second in-use condition in FIG. 2, during a sudden/abruptdeceleration/stopping of the vehicle, the weight element (3) moves fromthe first position (P1) to compress the spring (2) so that the weightelement (3) moves to a second activating position (P2) magneticallyproximate the switch so that the switch is activated, e.g., closed, bymagnetic interaction with the weight element (3). The activation orclosing of the switch causes the warning signaling device (10) to beactivated to provide a deceleration warning to following vehicles.

In normal driving of the vehicle, the spring (2) keeps the weightelement (3) from moving to the second position proximate the switch.

Advantageously, the sensor (1) includes a cavity (7) located inside thesensor (1), a spring (2) located inside the cavity (7), and a moveableweight element (3) located inside the cavity (7).

Additionally, the moveable weight element (3) includes a housing element(8) containing a magnet (4) located therein.

The weight element (3) is adapted to move, via spring compression andexpansion, between an activating position (P2) and a resting position(P1).

With reference to FIG. 2, with a normally-open switch (5), the switch(5) closes in the activating second position (P2) with the spring (2)compressed as shown and opens in the resting first position (FIG. 1, P1)with the spring expanded as shown. When the switch (5) is closed, theclosed switch (5) activates the warning signal (10). The switch (5) istherefore positioned at the second activating position (P2) so that theswitch is closed by magnetic interaction with the weight element (3).

A total length of the combined expanded spring (2) and weight element(3) may be same or longer than a length of the sensor (1). A diameter ofthe housing element (8) can also be same or larger than a diameter ofthe spring (2).

With reference to FIG. 3, the moveable weight element (3) may also bepositioned in the middle of the housing (1). In this embodiment, twosprings (2, 2′) are provided, one spring (2) is positioned on each sideof the weight element at a corresponding end of the housing (1) so thatthe weight element (3) is located intermediate the two springs (2, 2′).The two springs (2, 2′) bias the weight element (3) to the resting firstposition (P1). The resting first position (P1) of the weight element (3)is located in the middle of the housing length, and the secondactivating position (P2, P2′) may be at either end of housing (1) of thesensor (10).

A magnetically activated switch (5, 5′) may be provided at each end ofthe housing (1) to provide two activating positions (P2, P2′). With twoswitches (5, 5′), the sensor (10) of FIG. 3 may be mounted transverse toa length of the vehicle to detect sudden light and right movements ofthe vehicle, e.g., when the driver suddenly turns the vehicle steeringwheel to either the left or right. A second electrical connection (6′)is provided to connect the second switch (5′) to the warning signaldevice (12) of the vehicle (9).

Thus, in a third in-use condition, the weight element (3) moves tocompress the second spring (2′) so that the weight element (3) movesfrom the first position to a third activating position (P2′) proximatethe second switch (5′) so that the second switch (5′) is closed bymagnetic interaction with the weight element (3), the closing of thesecond switch (5′) causing the warning signaling device (12) to beactivated to provide a warning to following vehicles. In normal drivingof the vehicle, the second spring (2′) keeps the weight element (3) frommoving to the third position proximate the switch.

The FIG. 3 embodiment may also be mounted vertically to detect vehiclemovement in a vertical direction.

1. A sensor (10) for actuating a vehicle warning signal, comprising: ahousing (1); a magnetically activated switch (5) located on an outsidesurface of the housing (1); and an electrical connection (6) forconnecting the switch (5) to a warning signal device (12) of the vehicle(9), the housing (1) comprising a cavity (7) located inside the housing(1), a first spring (2) located inside the cavity (7), and a moveablemagnetic weight element (3) located inside the cavity (7) adjacent thespring, wherein, in a first in-use condition the weight element islocated in a first resting (P1), non-activating position remote fromsaid switch (5), wherein, in a second in-use condition, during adeceleration of the vehicle, the weight element (3) moves to compressthe first spring (2) so that the weight element (3) moves from the firstposition to a second activating position (P2) magnetically proximate theswitch so that the switch is closed by magnetic interaction with theweight element (3), the closing of the switch causing the warning signaldevice (12) to be activated to provide a deceleration warning tofollowing vehicles, and wherein, in normal driving of the vehicle, thefirst spring keeps the weight element (3) from moving to the secondposition proximate the switch.
 2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein, thehousing (1) is a cylindrical housing (1), the moveable magnetic weightelement (3) comprises a housing element (8) containing a magnet (4)located therein, the moveable magnetic weight element (3) is locatedinside the cavity (7) bearing against the first spring, wherein in thefirst in-use condition the spring biases the weight element to the firstposition located remote from said switch (5), and the electricalconnection is a cable (6) connected between the switch (5) and thewarning signaling device (10) of the vehicle (9).
 3. The sensor of claim2, wherein, the switch (5) closes in the activating second position (P2)and opens in the resting non-activating first position (P1).
 4. Thesensor of claim 1, wherein, a total combined expanded length of thefirst spring (2) and the weight element (3) is equal to or longer than alength of the cavity of the housing (1)
 7. The sensor of claim 1,wherein, a diameter of the housing element (8) is equal to or largerthan a diameter of the first spring (2).
 8. The sensor of claim 1,wherein, the cylindrical housing (1) has closed ends (11).
 9. The sensorof claim 1, further comprising a second spring (2′), the weight element(3) being located intermediate the first and second springs.
 10. Thesensor of claim 9, further comprising an additional magneticallyactivated switch (5′) located on an outside surface of the housing (1),wherein, in a third in-use condition the weight element (3) moves tocompress the second spring (2′) so that the weight element (3) movesfrom the first position to a third activating position (P2′) proximatethe second switch (5′) so that the second switch (5′) is closed bymagnetic interaction with the weight element (3), the closing of thesecond switch (5′) causing the warning signaling device (12) to beactivated to provide a warning to following vehicles, and wherein, innormal driving of the vehicle, the second spring (2′) keeps the weightelement (3) from moving to the third position proximate the switch. 11.A sensor (10) for actuating a vehicle warning signal, comprising: ahousing (1); first and second magnetically activated switches (5, 5′)located on an outside surface of the housing (1); and electricalconnections (6, 6′) for connecting the first and second switches (5, 5′)to a warning signal device (12) of the vehicle (9), the housing (1)comprising a cavity (7) located inside the housing (1), first and secondsprings (2) located inside the cavity (7), and a moveable magneticweight element (3) located inside the cavity (7) between the first andsecond springs, wherein, in a first in-use condition the weight elementis located in a first resting, non-activating position magneticallyremote from said first and second switches, wherein, in a second in-usecondition, during a first movement of the vehicle, the weight element(3) moves to compress the first spring (2) so that the weight element(3) moves from the first position to a activating second position (P2)magnetically proximate the first switch so that the first switch isactivated by magnetic interaction with the weight element (3), theactivation of the first switch causing the warning signaling device (12)to be activated to provide a warning to following vehicles, wherein, ina third in-use condition the weight element (3) moves to compress thesecond spring (2′) so that the weight element (3) moves from the firstposition to an activating third position (P2′) proximate the secondswitch (5′) so that the second switch (5′) is activated by magneticinteraction with the weight element (3), the activation of the secondswitch (5′) causing the warning signaling device (12) to be activated toprovide a warning to following vehicles, and wherein, in normal drivingof the vehicle, the first and second springs keep the weight element (3)from moving from the first position to either of the second and thirdsposition.
 12. The sensor of claim 11, wherein, the housing (1) is acylindrical housing (1), the moveable magnetic weight element (3)comprises two housing elements (8) and a magnet (4) located in betweentwo housing elements (8), and the electrical connections are a cable (6)connected between the first and second switches to the warning signalingdevice (10) of the vehicle (9).
 13. The sensor of claim 11, wherein, theswitch is a normally-open switch, and the switch (5) closes in theactivating second position (P2) and opens in the resting non-activatingfirst position (P1).